Chapter 28 Alessio
ALESSIO
We’d been all over the damn city in the last few hours. Klaus had stopped to throw up on a sidewalk at one point, which only led me to believe he was deeply in love with Rosalie.
Rosalie.
This wasn’t at all who I expected when he said he was seeing someone. Not only because she was Alessandro’s love, but also because of who her ex was. She was Lorenzo De Luca’s ex-fiancée. She belonged to the horsemen.
I knew if we’d have told Klaus that Evan was alive in the beginning, that he’d never have pursued her. He wasn’t that kind of man.
But now that he’d fallen so damn hard?
Damnit.
This might lead to a war I really didn’t want to have to fight. I had my own things happening that I was trying to work through. Perhaps that made me selfish, but I really wanted a break from everything for a bit.
Of course, I wouldn’t step back now. Rosalie needed us. Klaus needed us.
And I was sure Alessandro would need us. If nothing else, to hold him back from killing Klaus. Alessandro was a lot like his father in terms of violence. A calm soul until pushed too far. He reminded me of Matteo when Matteo was younger, and we were just starting out.
Many things had changed since then, and life had a way of hardening all of us.
Frank pulled up outside Alessandro’s apartment building just before eight in the morning. He turned and stared at Klaus.
“Putting your dick into the wrong woman always leads to trouble,” Frank said.
“You would know, you fucking whore bag,” Klaus shot back, his hair still a wild mess and his eyes bloodshot. “And Rosalie isn’t the wrong woman…” His voice trailed off.
“I knew when you brought her into this damn vehicle, she was trouble,” Frank continued. “You told me to shut the fuck up.”
“And nothing has changed. Shut the fuck up,” Klaus said, glaring at him.
“I’m only saying—”
“Frank, enough,” Matteo said. “He knows.”
I watched as Klaus untied his black tie, his mouth turned down into a deep frown.
“She’s a very pretty girl, but she’s way out of Klaus’s league. That leads to heartbreak because hot women tend to leave mediocrity—” Frank didn’t know when to quit.
Matteo opened the door and got out. Klaus slid over, but it was only to take his tie and wrap it around Frank’s throat before choking him.
Frank struggled and gagged loudly, slapping at Klaus as Klaus tightened his hold on him.
I sighed and looked to Matteo, who rolled his eyes.
“Klaus, brother, let’s see if your sweet Rose is inside. Frank will still be here to choke when we get back,” I said.
Klaus gave him another tightening before loosening the tie completely.
Frank sucked in sharp breaths, coughing.
“You’re still an asshole,” Frank rasped. “You fucking dick.”
“Eat shit,” Klaus muttered, getting out, but not before slapping Frank across the back of his head.
For good measure, I clocked him too.
“Keep your dick in your pants while we’re gone,” I said to him as I got out.
“Fuck off,” Frank muttered. “I’m going to fucking jerk off on your spot. See if I can get your ass pregnant.”
I shook my head, knowing the asshole likely would try since he put his dick into anything with a heartbeat. I couldn’t believe Indigo came out of him.
Thank fuck she got more of her mother than her father.
We went up to Alessandro’s apartment. Matteo looked at Klaus as we stood outside Alessandro’s door.
“He will be upset,” Matteo said, looking at Klaus.
“I know,” Klaus replied tightly.
“He will get violent.”
“I know,” Klaus repeated.
Matteo turned back to the door and pounded on it for a moment before Alessandro pulled it open.
“Why the hell are you pounding on my door at eight in the damn morning?” Alessandro demanded, irritation on his face.
“Is Rosalie here?” Matteo asked, stepping forward.
“No.” Alessandro frowned. I could see worry immediately replace his irritation. And soon, I knew I’d see anger. None of us was stupid. We knew what a monster Alessandro De Santis could be. He didn’t earn his reputation in our world by skipping around and buying people chocolate. “Why?”
I moved into the apartment, deciding I needed to check the place out myself.
In the event Rosalie was just hiding from Klaus, I’d drag her pretty ass to him so she could face him and say what she needed to say.
I thought she was a good girl, and I’d do what I had to in order to protect her, but I’d also punish her if she hurt Klaus.
“What’s going on?” Alessandro repeated, glancing at Klaus. If I had to take a guess, he was already suspicious.
“I can’t find her,” Klaus said. His voice shook with his worry and fear, and I winced, hating to hear him sound this way. Klaus was a strong man who rarely showed any emotion aside from anger. To see him breaking apart like this was painful.
“Why would you know where she is?” Alessandro demanded, glaring at him.
“Tell him,” Matteo said to Klaus, who looked like he was going to be sick.
“I’m seeing her,” Klaus mumbled.
“I’m sorry. What?” Alessandro tightened his hands into fists.
“I’m seeing her,” Klaus repeated tightly. “She is…”
“Don’t you fucking finish that sentence,” Alessandro let out a snarl before shoving him hard in the chest. “Motherfucker!”
“Alessandro.” Matteo reached out and grabbed Alessandro as he went to punch Klaus.
I sprang into action and got in front of Klaus. If Alessandro wanted to punch him, he’d have to get through me first.
“Enough, son. He has been punished enough.” Matteo held his hand up to stop him from launching forward.
“Cole was right. He came to see me. Said it was you. You motherfucker.” Alessandro’s words came out clipped and filled with venom. “How fucking could you? You know how I feel about her!”
“Alessandro, stop,” Matteo said, pushing him down onto his couch. He went without a fight, which was a relief. Judging by his outburst, I had no doubt that he’d fight to the death if it came down to it.
“Klaus, tell us what happened. We all need to hear everything. From the beginning to now.” Matteo moved away from Alessandro and took a seat.
Alessandro rocked in his seat on the couch. I knew he was doing all he could to control himself so he didn’t launch himself at Klaus again. I felt sympathy for the pair. Women really could ruin a man’s life.
“I-I spent time with her. She is special to me,” Klaus said, his voice holding a slight shake to it. “I found her at a club one night, and things just went from there.”
Alessandro glared at him. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Alessandro,” Klaus murmured. “I am sorry. I know your feelings for her. I had a moment of weakness and gave in to them. I-I care about her. She said nothing was happening between you two.”
I glanced at Alessandro again to see that he looked like he was going to be sick.
“Continue,” Matteo grunted.
“She told me information about my eldest son. It did something to me, so I tried to find him. I could not, so I returned home to her.”
“Because she’s living with you?” Alessandro shook his head, a sour look on his face.
Klaus nodded. “Staying at my place, yes. She wasn’t there, so I went out to find her.
I found her at a club. She was alone at the bar.
We sat and talked. She said she wanted to use the bathroom.
We were going to go home after.” He visibly swallowed.
“I did not follow her. I waited, wanting her to have some sense of freedom. It was an error on my part.”
“What happened?” Alessandro demanded, pulling his hands into fists again.
I shifted slightly closer in case I needed to intervene.
“She did not return to me. I went outside to check for her. It is where I encountered Cole Scott. He approached me. We fought.” Klaus paused and breathed in.
“He was drunk and not much of an adversary, but he did hit me. I-I thought he took her. His men showed up, pointed their guns at me before I could finish him. I released him and backed away. I was desperate. She wasn’t inside.
She was nowhere outside. I checked the back alleys.
All of it. I-I think Cole had her taken. ”
Alessandro breathed out.
“Call them,” Matteo said gruffly. “We need to make certain she’s with them. They will unlikely answer me except with gunfire, which I will return in kind.”
Alessandro rubbed his eyes before he pulled his phone out.
He put it on speakerphone so we could all listen.
I relaxed a bit, hoping he’d get the answers we needed and all would be well.
I didn’t want to spend my day chasing down anyone.
I wanted Rosalie to be found. To be safe.
And I wanted her and Klaus to sort themselves because I hated seeing my brother hurt so much.
Of course, I also wanted Alessandro to come to terms with what this meant.
In the big scheme of things, that was paramount.
Enzo answered immediately.
“Alessandro,” he said coolly.
“Lorenzo,” Alessandro snarled back. “I want Rosalie.”
Enzo was quiet for a moment. I hadn’t had many dealings with Lorenzo De Luca, but I knew his father. We had once been very good friends. Anthony had been a force and could have taken over Chicago, even from the De Santis family, but he left when Del disappeared.
“I’m sorry. What?” Enzo sounded confused.
“Rosalie. You pricks have her. Cole attacked Klaus last night at a club. Rosalie is missing. I want her back.” Alessandro fidgeted, his irritation clear.
“I don’t have Rosalie,” Enzo said tightly. We could hear voices and noise in the background. “Cole. Did you take Rosalie?”
“No,” Cole mumbled. “I left her in the bathroom. I went to find Klaus. I didn’t see her after that.”
“Why the fuck did you have her in the bathroom?” Alessandro demanded, his voice rising.
I chanced a look at Matteo to see him sit forward, a frown on his face, before I looked at Klaus, who appeared like he was doing all he could to hold himself together and not launch through the phone and finish the job he’d started on Cole Scott.
“I fucked up,” Cole snapped. “It’s not any of your fucking business what I do with my girl—”
“She is not yours.” Klaus finally broke his silence, his voice that low growl Teo and I knew. It meant he was pissed and going to lose it. “I want her. Where the fuck is she?”
“Klaus,” Enzo said, clearing his throat. “I don’t know what sort of relationship you had with Rosalie, but that is over—”
Klaus’s face changed into what we recognized as his murder face. This was not going to go well.
“Lorenzo, let us meet with one another so that we can discuss this like gentlemen,” Matteo said smoothly before Klaus could speak.
“In public, if that is your wish. Who she belongs to is irrelevant. She is missing, and we need to figure out where she is. We can meet in one hour at The Loon. Do you know of it?”
“Yes,” Enzo said tightly.
“Perfect. Bring your men if it makes you feel comfortable. I will bring mine. We can sort this like gentlemen. If you do not show, I will tear apart what you’ve built with my bare hands. Do we have an agreement?”
“Yes,” Enzo replied. “One hour.”
“Perfect.”
Alessandro hung up and let out a breath.
“Alessio, assemble some men. Let’s have brunch.” Matteo smiled at Alessandro. “We will find her, Son.”
Alessandro nodded before he looked to Klaus, who was staring at the floor.
“Klaus, go out and call sweet Rose once more. Perhaps she will answer, and this will all be a misunderstanding. I promise we will find her,” Matteo said in German to him.
Klaus nodded and left without a word. I followed him out, but not before I heard Matteo tell Alessandro that Klaus cared for Rosalie and for Alessandro to answer with a fuck him.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. It was definitely going to be a long day. And probably a longer night if we didn’t find Rosalie.